Huntsville gazette., 1887-08-06

uOWo " dSccTIdlu WucIt uc Was. 1aIlcI
little rest memory gradually returned.
An actor once performing in play
which had had long run, all at once
forgot entirely the speech he was to
make. When he got behind the scenes
he said: "How could be expected to
remember it forever? Have I not re-
peated it every night for the last thirty
nights?" On one occasion gentleman
had to turn to companion, when
about to leave his name at door
where they had called, to ask him what
it was. so completely and suddenly had
all memory of it left him.
After severe illness and after endur-
ing hardships loss Of memory is not
unusual. Thucydides relates that some
who recovered from the plague ut
Athens lost their memory so completely
that no friend or relation and nothing
connected with their personal identity
was remembered Mental shocks fre-
quently interrupt or in some eases ut
terly put an end to that exercise which
the union of body and mind produces.
A fall, a sudden blow, may suddenly
obliterate all recollection.
The functions of memory are in some
cases suspended for time, but ON re-
covery resume at the very point where
they were deprived of their power. A
physician tells a story of a lady who
was seized with apoplexy while playing
cards. She was unconscious from
Thursday evening until the following
Sunday morning, and when she spoke
the first words she uttered were:
What is trump" Beattie mentions
gentleman who, in the year 1761, had
similar attack, from which he recov-
cred, but all recollectlons Of four years
previous to the attack were gone, and
he was obliged to refer to the public
Journals Of the forgotten years for in
formation about the passing events
of those years, and read the details
with great interest and surprise. By a
fall from his horse, gentleman who
was an excellent scholar received an
injury on his head. He recovered, but
his learning had vanished, and he had
actually to commence his education BY
starting at the first step and learning
the alphabet. Another scholar, meet
ing with similar accident, lost mont
of his requirements but his Greek, and
that was gone entirely.
There is on record the account of az
accident which befell Dr. Broussannet,
and which resulted in apoplexy. When
he recovered he had utterly lost the
power of speaking or writing proper
names or any substantive, but memory
supplied adjectives very readily, and
by their application distinguished what
ever he wished to mention. If h,
wished to speak to any one, he 'onlo
designate him by the shape o. co:or fol
which he was remarkable. If his hail
was red he called him "red;" If above
the usual height he would name him
"tall." If he wanted his hat he wouiG
ask for his "black." He was an excel
lent botanist, but he was obliged t.
make use of the same method in speak
ing of the plants, because he could not
mention the name Of one of them. a
musician was known to call his flute q
tufie, thus using all the letters of the
right word, which it was impossible
for him to speak.
An extraordinary case of periodical
recollection occurred in an old mar
,ho h,I 60 nj la tc Of
younger days, unless they were recalled
to his memory by some occurrence, yet
every night regularly he recollectet
some one particular circumstance Of
his early life. A gentleman of m,
acquaintance said he was once in gfeat
danger of drowning, and in
very brief space of time every
event of his life came vividly to hi
mind as completely as though produced
on canvas. Dir. Dyce, of Aberdeen.
describes the case Of a girl who was
subject to somnambulisln. During
these attacks she would converse witt
bystanders and answer all their ques-
tons. At one time she went through
tne WHOle DdpliSIlldl SeIVlce VI tHe
Church of England. On awakening
she had no remembrance OF what haC
occurred, but on falling into it again
she would talk over all that had been
said At another time, whiie in the
somnambulistic state, she was taken
to church, where she appeared to at
tend to the service with great devo-
ton. She would become much affected
and shed tears at some passages
When restored to the waking condition
she had not the faintest recollection OF
the circumstances, and in the follow
ing attack would give most vivid
description of all that had taken place.
She would give full account of every
thing, repeating, verbatim, the pas
sages at which she shed tears. She
appeared to have two memories, one fol
the waking state and another for the
mysterious sleep.
A sad thing has been related Of 8